The Fall
by Mira Spiegel
Summary: The continuation of Creation...Lucianna has been out in the world for almost 300 years, never interacting with vampires. After accepting a job in Forks, an unfortunate accident on La Push land brings her to the Cullen's door. Canon pairings and then some
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hello Everyone! Here is the second part in the three part series that I am working on for the Twilight Series. If you haven't already read "Creation," you may be a little lost while reading this story. This does contain spoilers for all the Twilight books and is Volturi intensive. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and am not making any money off this story.

**Twilight: The Fall**

**Chapter One**

He had been searching over a year and had found little trace of her. Aro clenched his jaw in thought and annoyance. He had delved deep enough into his mate's mind a hundred years back to discover an interesting memory. A dock in Naples, a ship headed for the new world, water and sky being touched with just the beginning of a dawn. And a raven haired girl, scared and terribly out of place saying a farewell to a blurred protector. Despite Sulpicia's attempt at hiding the figure, Aro didn't have too much trouble deducing who it was.

Aro had been trying to discover a way to get his hands on Demetri, riffle through the tracker's memories and see what they would reveal. But trust was a thorny thing among the guard, Demetri especially. The tracker was meticulous in his manner, quiet and detail orientated. A casual brush from Aro would be taken as a act of distrust. He may as well strike Demetri across the face to get what he wanted. There had to be another way to find her without access to Demetri's memories. The guard were on shaky ground as it were and Demetri had been nothing but faithful in his duties.

He rubbed a hand across the smooth planes of his face. A year had passed since the entire mess in Forks and things were starting to resettle in their normal routine. But Aro had ruled for enough years to know that a change was coming. Power was usurped that day in the meadow and given to the Cullens. Some of it was taken back by tracking down the errant witnesses and silencing them immediately. It soothed Caius' raw nerves somewhat but the shift in power had already started.

"Have you found him yet?"

Aro looked between his steepled fingers as Caius stalked into the library. "No word from any of our eyes out there."

Caius emitted a low growl of frustration as he sunk down in the chair across from Aro. "They may be protecting him."

"I do not believe the Cullens would make the mistake of protecting Joham."

"Not the Cullens," Caius said the name like it was an explicative. "Joham's children."

"That is a possibility." Aro kept his face smooth, unreadable. Caius' obsessive search for justice sometimes lead them into altercations that would otherwise be avoided. The meeting in Forks could have very easily turned into a bloodbath if Caius had overrode Aro's diplomacy. He had no doubt that when they found Joham, Caius would take out his frustration on the vampire and the children before they had a chance to glean information from him as well as his creations. Lucianna would be the best subject to study if he could find her.

"We should have Demetri track the sisters again," Caius suggested. "See if they are with Joham by now."

Aro waved his hand in weary agreement. "If that would soothe your nerves."

"Reestablishing our authority will soothe my nerves."

"Of course," Aro muttered. "But surely you have seen enough empires rise and fall to realize that change is always an unsettling time. By holding firm, gathering information on a new threat and acting accordingly will only strengthen our authority in the end. We must be diplomatic in our course of action."

"I am growing weary of your diplomacy."

"And I am growing weary of your constant criticism of my perceived inaction."

Caius was growing restless. "We can not afford another embarrassing mishap like we had in Forks."

"Which is why I refuse to rush blindly into dealing with Joham. I will gather my information thoroughly this time. We must have patience, brother."

Caius held his words and scowled into the darkness. Aro took it as a positive sign that Caius, though not always the most patient of the Volturi, was willing to try the trait temporarily. Aro had sent Demetri out a few times to track Nahuel and his sisters but the information had been less that exciting. So often he wanted to send the tracker looking for Lucianna but always he held his tongue. But curiosity was starting to get the better of him. He wondered where his daughter was now.

He turned his gaze out off the darkened window of his study. Night had covered Volterra with its purple-black coloring. Was it dark where Lucianna was now? Maybe a new day was starting for her. Was she happy? Was she safe? Did she understand more of what she was or did she push that side of her away? In that moment, a sharp emotion of jealousy ripped through him. Edward would have a chance to see his child grow, develop and establish a relationship with her.

Aro had to find Lucianna. Whatever the repercussions...he would find her.

* * *

><p>"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."<p>

It never failed when Lucianna was certain death was near, the words that she learned from the Sisters in the Roman church became her mantra. This wasn't the first time she had uttered the words under her breath but it was the first time she spoke them with such earnest.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."

Still waters...she passed over a stream in the Olympic forest during her hike and that was when the wolves began their pursuit. The possibility of crossing a boundary line seemed like a likely explanation for the pack of angry and very large wolves snapping at her heels. She doubled back towards the sounds of the water.

"He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. "

The trail underfoot was slippery with moss and mud. Despite her extra abilities of speed and grace, her feet continued to slide on the terrain and allowed the wolves to gain on her. The largest one, a black and white blur of teeth and fur, was so close to her now she could feel his breath. She could see the edge of the water just a few hundred yards from her.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."

She reached the edge of the water and jumped, hoping to clear the water. Just as she drew her legs underneath of her for the landing, her entire world spun and twisted. The wolf had closed his jaws around her midsection as they both landed in the icy cold water. Her skin was close to impenetrable that didn't stop the bones from being crushed. The combination of cold water and the wolf's attack sucked all the air from her lungs and disoriented her. She couldn't breath and she couldn't seem to find the surface of the water either. She felt someone grab her shoulder and she tugged against them until a second set of hands grabbed her other shoulder and hefted her out of the water.

Air tried to rush into her lungs but the damage was too great. Water and blood seeped out of her mouth until she coughed, throwing a mix of both onto the rocks along the bank. All she was capable of doing was lay gasping in the woods and wait for the inevitable to happen. Two hundred and ninety years of life...she supposed it was a good life. People were shouting over her but no one was touching her. She didn't expect them to be able to help her. She didn't know enough about her kind to tell them what to do. She tried to intake a little bit of air into her wounded lungs and did what she always did when facing death.

"I will fear no evil."

* * *

><p>A mindless weapon.<p>

That was what the nomad had called the Volturi Guard.

That was what Garrett had called him.

Demetri had tried to rationalize the statement for a year following that disastrous meeting with the Cullens in Washington. The sting of words that shouldn't have mattered still smarted after all this time. He had played the dutiful "weapon" and tracked down certain witnesses that had slunk away before the final decision was rendered but he had to be honest with himself...he had let a couple slip away.

"Aro is going to grow suspicious."

Demetri turned in surprise to see Sulpicia emerge from the shadows of the courtyard and tried to push away uneasiness. "Suspicious about what, My Lady?"

Her bright crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "Something is troubling you, distracting you. Felix has already come to me out of concern for your well being."

His emotions teetered on annoyance and gratefulness at Felix. They had been a set of protectors for Sulpicia and her cousin, Athenadora before they were placed into the guard. They had been standing beside each other longer than boundary lines of certain nations.

Sulpicia sat down on the edge of the fountain. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Fourteen years." He didn't have to calculate months or years in his mind. Every day marked another piece of time that had slipped between him and the frightened child he had put on that boat in Naples not quite three hundred years ago.

Sulpicia was as still as a statue. "Where was she?"

A small smile tugged at Demetri's lips. "Palm Beach, Florida."

"Was she happy?"

The smile vanished completely. He remembered that summer evening, humidity and the scent of oranges hanging thick in the air. He had to wait until evening before he could initiate contact due to the plentiful sunshine. Then he realized why she had chosen Florida. She had finally outgrown her guardian. "She was married."

A small noise was emitted from Sulpicia's throat. "That wasn't the question."

Demetri nodded his head. "She seemed to be happy, yes."

"Where is she now?"

The tracker closed his eyes and concentrated, throwing the net of his gift as far it would go. By pulling it back in, he should be able to get a region of where she was living now. Just a few moments and he had his answer. "She's still in the United States."

"Florida?"

Demetri swallowed down the uneasiness that had settled in his throat. "Washington state but..."

"What is it?"

He frowned in concentration and worry. "The tenor is off. I don't think she's well."

Sulpicia stood up and wiped her hands on her robe, a nervous tick that immortality never stole from her. "Go. Find her before the Cullens do. That is the last thing we need right now." She looked around the courtyard shrewdly. "Our empire is already on shaky ground."

"Then perhaps now is the wrong time to leave."

"If the Cullens discover that we already had knowledge of a hybrid, there is no telling what their response will be. Find her, hide her. I will tell Aro that I sent you on a personal errand."

Duty had always been the force that drove his actions. He was used to following orders, pleasing his masters and showing himself a strong talent among the guard. He always felt seeking Lucianna out was a guilty pleasure. He travelled alone to find the shaky secret of Aro which gave him time for reflection and remembering who he was, not as a mindless weapon, but as a man. For those few days he was able to shake off the dust of Volterra and pretend he had no master but himself. Being sent with a direct order to find her expunged the guilt.

"I'll leave tonight, My Lady."

Sulpicia resettled her shoulders, taking on the look of a statue once more. "Perhaps this time, she will not be married."

Demetri certainly hoped so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Twilight: The Fall**

**Chapter Two**

_Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes._

_~ Confucius_

Bella watched Alice go up and down the stairs in their home in an almost agitated state. To human eyes, she would have appeared to be dancing around the house but since Bella had lost those eyes over a year ago, she could clearly see Alice's discomfort. And she wasn't the only one who noticed. Carlisle had emerged from his study on the second floor to investigate all the movement.

"What is it, Alice?" he asked from the top of the stairs.

"I don't really know," she answered, frowning slightly. "I keep seeing flashes of us helping someone who's been hurt, but it's so...distorted. There's too many holes in the vision. But whoever it is, they're in a bad condition."

Bella immediately thought of Jacob and Renesmee, who were with Charlie that night. "The wolves?"

Alice shook her head minutely, as if running through the vision again. "I...I can't tell."

Silence hung between them for half a second before they heard the heavy foot falls of two wolves making their way toward the house. A sudden feeling of vulnerability came over Bella as she rushed to the door and threw it open. A rush of air left her empty lungs as she saw Leah and Seth carrying an unfamiliar person up the porch stairs.

Leah was the first to notice Bella. "Carlisle?"

Bella held the door open and motioned for them to come in. "He's here." It was hard to see the figure they were carrying underneath the wild hair and wet clothes. It was the smell that alert Bella as to the what, not the who, they were bringing to the house...a hybrid. The smell was a mix of the allure of a vampire but not as a strong. There was also the smell of blood but it was too tangy, like stagnant water. Carlisle was directing Leah and Seth to bring the wounded woman upstairs to one of the bedrooms, Edward's old room was the only unused one at the moment. Bella and Alice followed them and watched from the doorway while Carlisle tried to assess the damage.

"That's why I couldn't see anything," Alice whispered before rolling her eyes. "Hybrids and dogs."

As Carlisle was rearranging the mess of black curls searching for head trauma, he turned to Leah. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"She was hiking in the woods along your property," Leah answered. "Probably veered off a regular trail and ended up crossing the river into La Push territory. Sam's pack only smelled the vampire and attacked without paying attention to the heartbeat. She tried jumping back to your land when Sam caught her mid-air. Once she started bleeding and coughing up blood, they backed off. Seth and I brought her right here."

Seth was practically bouncing from one foot to another. "Is she going to be alright?"

Carlisle's hand were working their way swiftly down her body while she moaned faintly and shivered in her bloody, wet clothes. "There's a lot of broken bones in her torso. There could be internal damage but I'll have to get her to the hospital to know for sure."

"Esme's pulling your car around," Alice spoke up. "I'll get some extra clothes for her."

By the time Carlisle had gathered his patient up as gently as he could and situated her in the backseat of his Mercedes, Alice had set a bag of clothes on the floor of the front passenger seat. Without asking, Bella slipped into the passenger seat and shut the door. She needed to know more about the wounded hybrid in hopes of further understanding her own child. It felt selfish and uncaring but in her eternal heart, there seemed to be enough room for concern and selfishness simultaneously.

* * *

><p>There was a stinging sensation in her nose, followed by the annoying beep of machines next to her head. A compressor kicked on and something squeezed around her upper arm at the same time panic started to squeeze her heart. A hospital...before she had even begun another new life, she was going to have to leave before explanations were needed. She listened hard to go beyond the typical hospital noise to see if anyone was in the room. Not hearing any heartbeats or breathing, she opened her eyes.<p>

She was starting to disconnect the blood pressure cuff when she realized there were four people standing in the room. Four people...with no heartbeats...with no breath. When she forced herself to look at their eyes, she was instantly intrigued. Instead of them having the crimson irises she was accustomed to avoiding, they were all golden eyed. Maybe they weren't vampires.

"No," the one with bronze hair said with a slight smile, "we are."

Lucianna settled back in the hospital bed and tried to figure out how she could get out of this situation. She never allowed herself to get this close to their kind and she was never this vulnerable when she did realize she was in their proximity. She wasn't even certain of the extent of her injuries. And if they were gifted, like the one who spoke most likely was, there was no telling what they could do to her.

The other man, who was tall with blond hair, stepped up to her beside and crouched down next to her. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, I'm a doctor here at the hospital in Forks, Washington."

Lucianna frowned slightly. A vampire doctor? That was something she had never come across before either though she never come across a gainfully employed vampire. The younger looking man broke into another half smile. She had heard whispers of mind reading vampires out there, and given her own gift of seeing past events, she wondered if he might be one of them. So she asked him silently and he nodded.

"Yes," he spoke up, "I can read your mind. My name is Edward." He put his arm around a woman with long, dark brown hair. "This is my wife, Bella."

"And this is my wife," Carlisle pointed to a slight woman with carmel colored hair and a reassuring smile.

She laid a cold hand lightly on Lucianna's arm. "I'm Esme. We're going to take care of you, sweetheart."

"Anna," she said. "The name I'm going by is Anna Morris." Lucianna wanted to believe Esme, to believe all of them, but trust was a mythical thing in her life. The first person she had handed her trust over to tried to kill her. For all she knew, he would still attempt it.

"What can we do," Edward asked, his face pinched in an odd way, "to gain your trust?"

No one had ever asked her that before. She looked from each of their faces, those perfect, golden-eyed faces, and tried to come up with an answer. Finally, she cleared her throat. "I suppose not killing me is a good starting point."

A low chuckle rippled between them before Lucianna's thoughts turned serious. "How long will I be in here?"

Carlisle remained in his crouched position so he would stay on eye level with her. "You do have multiple broken bones in your torso, many ribs, your collar bone and some fractures in your left arm. There was also some internal damage but it was healing quickly enough so surgery wasn't necessary. At the rate that you're healing, we can move you to our home tomorrow evening and let you finish your recovery there."

"No, I couldn't ask you-"

Esme patted her arm again. "You didn't."

"Besides, having you here in the hospital," Edward spoke up, "might be a little too out in open considering what you are."

Lucianna closed her eyes. "I was suppose to start work tomorrow. I don't even know how to get in touch with anyone-"

"Who do you need to call?" Bella asked. "We can do it for you."

Trust was still elusive and Lucianna kept her mouth shut but soon realized she had no choice but tell these people who she was. Even if she kept her silence, Edward would know everything and tell them anyway.

"I don't work like that," he said in response to her thoughts. "Unless it's imperative information for the safety of this family, whatever you think is kept private." He raised his left hand. "Scout's honor."

Lucianna felt a rare smile appear on her face. "That's the wrong hand." Seriousness came over her again. "I was hired as the Medical Examiner for Forks so I guess the Chief of Police would be the one that needs to be informed."

Bella grinned. "That's easy. The Police Chief is my father. I'll call him on the way home tonight."

Lucianna nodded her thanks and resettled in the hospital bed. She felt Carlisle stand and whispers of air as the vampires retreated from her room. Just as she was started to fall back asleep, she felt someone remove the blood pressure cuff from her arm and turn down the volume on the heart monitor.

* * *

><p>There were times in every empire when those in the ruling body knew a change, an upset, was about to occur. As Sulpicia made her way to Aro's library, she could feel the stone shifting under her feet. Demetri had contacted her that night with the most unwelcome news. News that she had to reveal to her mate after three hundred years of silence. It was the only way to ensure that they would survive the coming fallout.<p>

She didn't pause to knock at the large gilded doors, far too many centuries had passed for there to be a lack of familiarity between them. The room had changed many times over the course of passing eras. She had watched the library's furniture change with the time periods, some she preferred more than others, but for now it was sleek, modern. Computers took the place of scrolls and parchments though Aro would still write in leather bound journals. She supposed some things never change.

"Ah, beautiful Sulpicia," he smiled widely, more out of habit than genuine emotion she was sure. "To what do I owe this visitation?"

She didn't see anyone else in the room with him but that didn't mean much. "I need to speak with you in private."

The smile changed, sharpened and faltered slightly. "I see. Renata, dear, you are free to go for the evening."

The slight, raven haired girl emerged from the shadows. She gave one nervous glance towards Aro, who nodded his head, and she drifted off into the shadows of the Volterra stronghold. Sulpicia waited until the sounds of the closing doors reverberated through the stacks of books and silence returned. In that moment, she realized just how far this fall was going to be.

"I have recently spoken with Demetri," she started, straightening her shoulders. "He is in Forks again upon my request."

The smile completely vanished. "And who is he watching at your request?"

She stepped off the ledge and into the unfamiliar free fall of honesty. "Lucianna."

Aro grew very still as that one name suddenly changed the course of the entire Volturi coven. Sulpicia waited until all the scenarios that were in front of them now had to be dealt with and swiftly. After a few minutes of deliberation, Aro resettled in the leather wingback chair.

"How many know of her?"

Sulpicia remained standing. "Only myself and Demetri."

Her mate's gaze became thoughtful and she knew exactly what was going through his mind as well as if she had his ability.

"You needn't worry over Demetri's loyalty. Destroying him would be detrimental to the situation any way."

"And how is that?"

Sulpicia fought the urge to frown. "He is completely infatuated with the girl, has been since she was a child. At the moment, he is the only one who knows her as thoroughly as possible. If we need to establish contact with her, he will be the only one she would trust. However..."

"Forks," Aro said. "I assume this subject of discussion is the fact that she has contacted the Cullens."

"She was attacked by those wolves. She needed treatment and was taken to the Cullens. The connection has been established. It won't be long before-"

"Edward Cullen realizes I already had knowledge of a hybrid."

"Perhaps I should have allowed you to destroy her that night in Rome."

Aro turned his focus to her in that moment. "Why didn't you?"

Sulpicia wiped her flattened palms on her darkened robes. "I believed I was making up for neglecting Didyme." She wondered if Aro would reveal himself and his possible part in his sister's death but he remained perfectly still and silent. She knew he was planning, running various scenarios through his mind and trying to pick the one that would have lesser repercussions. While he was thinking, she placed the cell phone that gave her instant communication with Demetri on the polished mahogany desk.

"Demetri?" he asked.

"It is the only number on the phone. He is still in Forks, waiting for orders."

He picked up the phone and turned it in his hands a few times. "I will most likely have to go to Forks myself. Smooth things over with the Cullens before they have a chance to gather their witnesses again." His eyes flicked back up to her face. "You should come with me."

"You fear for my safety?"

"I fear Caius' temper. It has yet to cool from our last visit to Washington. If he were to discover the reason for my impromptu trip back to Forks, I do not know what his reaction would be or the severity of his retaliation."

Sulpicia smiled slightly. "I will consider it."

"I believe having Demetri initiate contact with the Cullens, tell them what he knows about the situation would be the best course of action. I will leave tonight and fill in any details that are necessary. I hope I'm not underestimating Carlisle's understanding and generosity."

Sulpicia didn't say it, but she sincerely hoped for the same.


	3. Chapter 3

The Fall

Chapter Three

Aro had left Volterra. That didn't cause disruption in his mind, but the fact that Sulpicia accompanied her mate was enough to give rise to suspicion in Caius' thoughts. Athenadora was somewhat petulant over being left behind but a good hunt would distract her. He, on the other hand, could not find distraction in anything.

It was happening again. Aro and his secrets. Marcus and his indifference. Power was still slipping from their grasp and matters of silence were undoing the foundation of hundreds of years of power. And he was left in the dark only to grit his teeth. There were many things in this world that he hated, loathed and devised plans of annihilation. Romanians, werewolves, immortal children...but would he ever find a peace from this feeling of helplessness?

"And what is snatching your brilliant mind away from the matter at hand, my darling?" Athenadora twined her muddied arms around his neck.

"Aro and Sulpicia have left Volterra."

She sighed slightly. "Long overdue, if you ask me. They are not like us. They are willing to sit still and get dusty."

"And what are we willing to do?"

She twirled in front of him, a swirl of fine Italian silk and leather stained with blood, mud and torn by desperate fails from their dinner. "Conquer."

Had it been a few hundred years ago, he would have agreed with his flame-haired mate. When he held his tongue, she rushed forward and pressed her bloodied lips across his cheekbones.

"Oh, my sweet Caius. Do not lose the sharpness of your edge. Together, together we will continue to conquer this world. You and I, together."

"And what of Aro and Marcus?"

"Leave Marcus to his apathy and Aro to his secrets. Their focus shimmers and falters. Unlike ours, which is straight and narrow."

Caius absently picked twigs out of his mate's riotous curls. "Straight and narrow. Those are two words that will never apply to you, my twisted-minded love."

She pouted prettily. "I fear I would grow boring to you if I were straight minded."

"Indeed, I shall never find you boring."

She grinned wickedly and twirled once more. "I believe there were more campers up this trail. Shall we?"

His thirst was satisfied for the moment but he couldn't deny her the hunt so he started down the muddy trail towards the dying light of a campfire in the distance. He needed to keep her distracted during this tumultuous time. If Aro had gone back to Forks for the reason Caius thought, secrets were about to be shoved into the harsh light of day. Secrets that could very well tear Volterra apart and shake the foundations of their world.

Secrets that didn't belong to just Aro.

* * *

><p>He never saw himself as a romantic figure, given to bouts of gentleness and concern. If Felix had been here, the jokes would have been never ending. But Felix wasn't with him and Demetri had been standing in the darkened hospital room for the last two hours watching Lucianna sleep. He found comfort in hearing her heartbeat, watching her breathe. She was alive and that was all that really mattered to him at the moment. It never ceased to amaze him how centuries of loyalty would drop away just by being near her.<p>

True, he had stayed because Carlisle had remained at the hospital and he would have much rather faced one Cullen then the whole coven. But Carlisle had busied himself with other patients and hadn't returned to this room, which was just as well. Moments spent with Lucianna were rarities for him and he gathered them whenever they were available. He had studied her hands and was relieved to see no rings on either hand. The only jewelry she had on was the simple gold cross necklace that she had worn since the convent in Rome.

Almost three hours had passed before he heard the almost too quiet steps of Carlisle coming back to check on his patient. Demetri wasn't sure if he should announce his presence or wait for Carlisle to acknowledge him. As the door opened, he decided since he was on Cullen turf, he would let Carlisle take the lead.

The head of the Cullen family quietly made his way over to the bed, did a quick scan of the monitors, took her pulse and made a check on the clipboard hanging on the end of the bed before stepping over the window to look at the eminent dawn that was starting to color the sky.

"I take your presence here to mean that the Volturi are returning to Forks," Carlisle said in a faint whisper.

"Just Aro and Sulpicia will be arriving today," Demetri mimicked the volume that Carlisle had used.

"And you."

"I came to make sure that she would live."

Carlisle grew very still. "How many of you knew about her?" His normally even tone dropped a few degrees in warmth. "How many of you stood in front of my family, claiming ignorance in the matter of hybrids, and threatening to destroy us all because of it?"

_Mindless weapon. _Demetri shook his head, trying to jar that phrase uttered by the Revolutionary but it was true. A phrase dropped from his mouth so quickly and so genuinely he couldn't have stopped it. "I am sorry."

Carlisle seemed to relax slightly but remained silent.

"Aro, Sulpicia and myself," Demetri answered. "We were the only three who knew."

"Why keep her a secret? I would have thought Aro would have relished in a discovery like this."

Demetri drifted over to the bed and gazed down at her relaxed face. "Because she looks so much like Didyme. To bring her to Volterra would have only caused Marcus more pain. At least that is my opinion. That is a question you may have to ask Aro directly."

Carlisle nodded his head briefly. "So Aro is coming to smooth things over with us then."

"He will try. If I may speak freely with you, Aro has always spoken about you with fondness. I do not believe he will want to see a friendship lost."

"Because he fears the size of my family or because he respects us?"

Demetri started to speak but quickly shut his mouth. He wasn't sure just how much freedom he had to speak. Perhaps he had already said too much. But Carlisle wanted an answer.

"You've been open with me so far, Demetri. I'd appreciate it if you would continue to be so."

"I don't believe it's my place to answer that question."

"It's your place because you're standing here now." The words should have had a sting to them but oddly, they didn't. Carlisle had softened a demand as only he could with his unique brand of gentleness.

"I believe," Demetri started, "that Aro fears what this will do to us, to the Volturi. There are too many secrets in our coven and Lucianna is gifted. When she touches an object, she can see the events that have passed before it. To allow her near such a well guarded coven, she would soon learn enough destructive secrets to use against us."

"Why not kill her?"

"He tried but..."

Carlisle waited patiently until Demetri continued.

"I saved her that night, under Sulpicia's orders. I think she was trying to make amends to Didyme. We put her on a boat for the Americas and I would find her from time to time to make sure she wasn't drawing attention to herself."

A very slight smile emerged on Carlisle's face. "You've come to actually care for her, haven't you?"

Demetri straightened up and tore his gaze from Lucianna and turned it to the window. "Caring for another is frowned upon for the Volturi Guard. Our loyalties are to be for," he swallowed forcibly, "our masters only."

Carlisle didn't say anything else for a while as they stood by the window and watched the first rays of sunlight start to peek over the horizon. Eventually, Carlisle turned towards the door. "We'll be moving her later on today to our home so she can finish her recovery there. As long as you do your hunting out of the Forks area, preferably out of the state, you are welcome to stay with us."

"You would welcome me into your home?"

"Yes. I can't say the others will treat you as cordially, but you are welcome. I better go there and tell them what to expect today."

Before Demetri could show any gratitude for the kindness, Carlisle was gone. He gave Lucianna one last look before following Carlisle. At least he would be able to be around her more than his usual drop in visits. It scared him how much that meant to him.

* * *

><p>Lucianna sat propped up in a huge, white bed that sat in the midst of gossamer. Because of the immanent arrival of Aro and Sulpicia, she had been given Edward and Bella's cottage for her recovery. So here she sat, trying desperately not to touch the white linens. There were times when she really wished she wasn't gifted at all. Despite the images that assaulted her mind every time she happened to touch something, the little home was absolutely cozy. Everywhere she turned to look offered a picture of absolute beauty.<p>

The door to the bedroom opened with a lack of caution and a child about the age of ten with bronze curls peered into the room. "Hello."

Lucianna forced a smile. "Hi."

"Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you." Lucianna realized this must be Renesmee, Edward and Bella's hybrid daughter.

"Would you like some company?"

"That would be nice."

She practically bounded onto the bed next to Lucianna and settled in, tucked up tightly against Lucianna's side. "Am I hurting you?"

"No."

"Do you like music?"

Lucianna nodded. "Very much."

"Here," she handed her a sleek iPod. "I listen to all kinds of music so you'll probably find something you'll enjoy on there."

"Don't you want to listen to your music?"

Renesmee leaned closer and spoke in a confidential tone. "I'm reading a very interesting book right now and haven't been listening to much music."

"Ah," was the only response that Lucianna could find at the moment. She wondered if she was as precocious as this child. She remembered being inquisitive but was very fearful. This child didn't have an ounce of fear in her. She was obviously a well love child...a fortunate child.

"So where are you from?"

"Italy, originally. Rome, specifically. But I've been living in America for almost as long it's been a country."

"I met some vampires from Italy last year." She wrinkled her nose slightly. "They were nice but they really didn't mean it when they were nice."

"I know what you mean. I probably met the same one you did."

"Do you want to see?"

Lucianna looked down at the child to see her hand raised, fingers splayed. "What do you mean?"

"I can show you the meeting I had with the Italian vampires."

"Oh, alright then." She tilted her head forward until her cheek was against Renesmee's palm. Images shot across her mind's eye and if she hadn't been used to dealing with it her entire existence, it would have left her breathless.

The scene that was given to her was one of a large meadow, blanketed with snow. There was a massive amount of vampires gathered, more than Lucianna ever could have guessed existed. The memory was from Renesmee's point of view and she was just showing Lucianna the faces of Aro and two others that were drifting behind him. One had similar black hair but seemed detached from whatever was going on while the other white haired individual was riveted by the proceedings. And then there was Aro's face, alight with the same delight that he used to show her until that last night in the churchyard.

Then the scene shifted slightly. The images blurred and moved like a kaleidoscope changing to the next image. When the image cleared it was a large living room with a complete wall of glass facing a forest. A large group of vampires, all golden eyed except for one, were seated or standing around the room. The one crimson eyed vampire she recognized immediately as Demetri while a few others stood out to her like Carlisle, Esme, Bella and Edward. It was a tense feeling in the room, all the faces were set in hard lines and angry eyes.

"Do you think he'll try to kill her again?" Carlisle was asking.

A small framed woman with short, spiky hair answered. "He hasn't made that decision so I don't think that's his reason for returning."

"What do you see, Alice?" Bella asked.

The woman referred to as Alice shrugged elegantly. "Nothing alarming. He and his mate are coming here but there is nothing in the vision that even feels like an altercation."

A large man with an equally large grin spoke up from his position on the couch. "Coming back with his tail between his legs then. Think we'll get an apology for last time?"

There were a couple scoffs that were emitted around the room before a serious silence fell.

"So," a blond male vampire asked quietly, "do we prepare to defend ourselves?"

All eyes rested on Carlisle who was focused on Demetri. Both were equally unmoving.

"I don't believe there's any reason to prepare for a fight if that is not their intent," Carlisle answered in a measured tone, still keeping his eyes on Demetri. Finally the tracker spoke.

"If it is only Aro and Sulpicia, then he is coming with peace as his purpose. Felix may be with them but that doesn't mean he's here to fight either. Walking into a coven this size without protection would be something I've never seen before. I would advise to hear what he has to say. If he had come back to destroy, he would have brought all of Volterra with him. He wouldn't have been able to mobilize them all in such a short amount of time."

"And what do we do with Anna?" Esme asked. "We can't let her stay in the house with Aro here as well. Not until we know what he wants, especially with her."

Bella glanced over at Edward, who nodded his head briefly. "She can stay in our cottage," Bella offered. "It's out of the way and at the rate she's healing, she'll be back in Forks in two days."

"We'll keep Renesmee there too," Edward spoke up. "Jacob and Rosalie can stay there as guards if that's necessary."

The scene grew fuzzy after that and soon Lucianna was staring back into Renesmee's face.

"I thought you might like to see that last conversation."

"Thank you," Lucianna responded. "Is Aro here now?"

"I don't know." She absently picked at the braided bracelet around her wrist. "They wouldn't tell me anything else."

Lucianna gazed out the door that led to the garden and small pond. She wasn't sure if that was the direction of the Cullen home or not. The forest was thick and night had fallen, even with her semi-enhanced vision, she couldn't make out any lights in the distance.

"Well," Lucianna leaned back against her pillows and felt Renesmee rest her head on Lucianna's shoulder, "I guess we'll both just have to wait this one out."

"Can I wait it out with you?"

Lucianna laughed slightly. "Of course you can."

Renesmee's voice was starting to sound heavy with sleep. "It's nice not being the only one anymore. It gets lonely sometimes when you're special."

"Yes, it does. It gets very lonely."

"You don't have to worry about being lonely," Renesmee yawned widely. "You've got us now."

Lucianna closed her eyes and listened to the child's breathing even out into the steady rhythm of sleep. She mulled over Renesmee's words, trying to look at them from all angles, in an attempt to pull understanding and comfort from them. Could it really be true that she had been on her own for so long that she could no longer grasp the concept of not being alone?


End file.
